As our class took the metro at 8am Sunday morning, none of us knew that the line to the Vatican Museum was going to be almost two hours long. Katherina made an executive decision to postpone the museum trip until the afternoon. So we made our way around to the Bernini colonnade and into Piazza di San Pietro. The line... non existent. We first started out by visiting the crypt underneath the basilica. The crypt is home of the tombs of several popes including John Paul II. It was apparent which was his, as there is a roped off section a few feet behind his tomb for the faithful to stop and pray.
 |
| Bernini Colonnade |
Following the hastened trip to the crypt, we all passed through the giant doors into the basilica. I got the same tingly feeling every time I walk in there. The massive pillars rose all around, framing the Bernini Pulpit distinctive to St. Peter's. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to attend the ongoing mass happening behind the altar. While walking towards Michelangelo's Pietà, I overheard an American tourist ask someone near him, "Pardon my ignorance, but what church is this again?" I just rolled my eyes in disgust and continued on.
 |
| Inside St. Peter's |
Walking around a little more, I came across the roped off area reserved for Confession. I thought to myself, how awesome would it be to go to Confession at St. Peter's! It was perfect timing really, since Lent was about a week away. I asked to go through and walked in the side cross section of the basilica where several Confessionals lined the walls. I had been in this section before, about seven years ago when I was at the Easter Vigil Mass with John Paul II. The church was packed. A little nun from India gave up her seat for my grandma, leaving my cousin and I to fend for ourselves. What's the next logical thing to do? Sit in the Confessional! I didn't think about it at the time, but Easter Vigil Mass is usually a little longer than normal. Not only that, but it was at the Vatican. We sat there for over three hours! But it was all well worth it. So why do I bring that up? Because when I went to Confession, one of the Confessionals that was labeled English, was the same one I spent three hours in seven years prior. So naturally I chose that one. I got back to the rest of my group just in time before they left to get in line at the museum.
So you know how there was no line to get into the St. Peter's when we went a couple hours before? The line now stretched all the way around the piazza, half way to the exit. Our luck ran out when we got in line for the Vatican Museums which had only lengthened. We also found out that they close at 12:30 on Sunday. We got in line at about 10am and an hour and a half later, we were in! The last Sunday of the month is free entrance, so everyone takes advantage of saving 13 euro. We had about 20 minutes to get a snack and go to the bathroom before we started our tour. Thinking we had more time, we slowly walked through the first few galleries before heading outside.
Katherina stopped at a picture of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to explain some of it's elements when a security guard walked over to her and told her she better hurry up because it's closing in 15 minutes! Apparently they close several of the galleries a half hour before closing to get people to leave. We all started to run through the halls of the Vatican Museum, passing by works of art full of history we'd never get to learn about that day. Katherina is fast, and as she would pass by certain things, she would quickly say, "and this thing right here was done by so-and-so" all while still running. Eventually, we all became split up as some of us ran ahead, and some lingered a little longer. We all made it into the Sistine Chapel about five minutes before they started blasting the recording that it was closing. The room was packed. There was nowhere to move and everyone was taking pictures. Usually pictures are absolutely prohibited in the Sistine Chapel, but there were so many people, and they were so busy trying to get eveyone out, they could have cared less. I took the opportunity and snapped picture after picture of every square meter of that place; The Last Judgement, the ceiling, The Creation of Adam, even myself in the chapel. We left the museum excited, hungary, and completly worn out! Katherina was no longer walking her normal power walking pace, but a slow exhausted walk that we were all glad to be walking at.
 | ||
| La Cappella Sistina |
 |
| Last Judgement, and me |
We had about three hours until we had to catch our train, so we were on our own to find lunch and explore Rome for one last time. Chris, Stephanie and I took the metro to the Spanish Steps, since we didn't get to spend anytime there previously, and walked to the top. Stephanie had stayed at a convent with her family a few years prior right at the top of the steps and she was dying to stop by and say hello to Sister Wanda, hopping she was still there. We rung the doorbell to the convent and we were buzzed in. Stephanie was so flustered, all of her Italian left her, leaving me to translate everything. We asked for Sr. Wanda and explained how we knew her, and were asked to wait in the waiting room for her. In walks this sweet little old nun who spoke zero English. We spoke to her a little while and she left and brought back little trinkets for us. I got a key chain with the Vatican and JP II on it, and Chris got a St. Christopher medal. After saying goodbye, we went to look for lunch.
 |
| From the top of the Spanish Steps |
So awesome dude!
ReplyDelete